For senior Austin Landmark, who had been putting off completing his college application process, the Apply2College event was just what he needed.
“I kind of dabbled with it, but I never actually committed to filling out the full application and everything. I got help from counselors and admissions [representatives] to help me get that stuff done and fill in the gaps,” Landmark remarked.
Held every October, Apply2College is an annual event put on by the school – with the help of the EducationQuest Foundation – to assist senior students in filling out undergraduate admissions and scholarship applications for local and visiting universities.
The colleges present were Bellevue University, Grand Canyon University, Metropolitan Community College, Nebraska Wesleyan, University of Nebraska at Omaha, and Wayne State College; Students had the opportunity to speak with recruiters from each school and collaborate with them on their applications.
Students could also fill out their Common App, a streamlined admission application that hundreds of member universities across the United States accept.
“It went really well. I think we had our best turnout ever this year,” counselor Lisa Olsen said. “I think we had 87 applications to colleges completed.”
The event is likely to continue being held for years to come, and for the future, another program is in the works that would help students fill out the FAFSA – the form that makes prospective university students eligible for scholarships, student loans, work-study, and other forms of educational financial aid. According to Olsen, new Nebraska state law will require all students to complete the FAFSA for their senior year (or have a parent sign a waiver declaring their intent not to complete the FAFSA). With likely around 650 seniors in need of application assistance, an event similar to Apply2College will be needed to get families and students in and applying, Olsen said.
